


Ferris Air

by kitkatt0430



Series: Neighbors and Butterflies [6]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Barry showing off his powers for Joe, Character Study, Family, Gen, Joe finds out Barry is the Flash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25581448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitkatt0430/pseuds/kitkatt0430
Summary: Joe's not sure why Barry wants to meet him at the old Ferris Air base, but anything that makes his son sound that excited has to be a good thing, right?
Relationships: Barry Allen & Joe West
Series: Neighbors and Butterflies [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1522898
Comments: 12
Kudos: 68





	Ferris Air

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before _Rampage_ and _Moving Parts_. 
> 
> Short piece about Joe mending his relationship with Barry and his decision to reopen the Nora Allen murder investigation.

"Okay, so, there's something I need to tell you," Barry said, when Joe arrived at the abandoned airfield outside of Central City. Ferris Air, or something like that. Former military base, but the air force had sold it after pulling out a year or so earlier when a test pilot went missing.

"Like why we're here?" Joe shut his car door and then frowned. Barry had arrived before Joe. That was a first. Had he taken an uber? Or been dropped off by that boyfriend of his?

"Well, STAR Labs owns the airfield now. Not sure why, Wells looked kind of embarrassed when I asked about it." Barry shrugged nonchalantly, despite the excited spark in his eyes. "But it was a good place to show off what I can do while they're reworking the pipeline into a speed lab."

"None of that made any sense to me." Joe was smiling, though. Whatever had Barry in such a good mood had to be a good thing. And Joe was going to be on his best behavior to keep from screwing up and wiping that joy out of his son's eyes.

He'd messed up enough times in the last year. Today wasn't going to be another catastrophe. It couldn't be, or no apology would ever be enough to truly mend things between them.

"So, I told you about my healing powers," Barry said, "but I've since learned there's something else I can do. Something amazing. Figured it out while I was out jogging with Iris and Lisa not too long ago. Something just clicked and I could... well, better I show you."

And suddenly Barry was a blur of motion and lightning and circling the airfield.

Not even twenty-four hours earlier, this blur of motion and light saved the city from a man who could control the weather and had created a deadly tornado that tore apart several city blocks. Joe had been off duty that night, watching his tv in mounting horror as Clyde Mardon demolished parts of downtown Central.

But then another meta had arrived on the scene, unwinding the tornado and knocking Mardon out cold long enough for a daring police officer to run in and slap handcuffs on the man. This morning, Joe had learned that they were using dampener technology that STAR Labs had created to help meta's control their own abilities to prevent Clyde from accessing his dangerous powers.

Barry was that other meta. Who'd run in despite the danger and stopped Mardon.

Joe's Barry.

He's not sure whether or not to be grateful he hadn't known the night before. Joe had already been on edge knowing Barry lived relatively close to the tornado's projected path. If he'd known Barry was the one running around the base of the tornado... who'd been flung back and had to get up and run again...

Joe wasn't sure he'd have handled that well.

But that was last night. And this is today.

Coming to a stop in front of Joe, hair windswept and a big grin on his face, Barry laughed. "So it turns out I'm really fast now too."

"But will you be on time from now on?" Joe asks, grinning widely himself. "That's what would be truly impressive."

"Joe!" Barry's hands crossed over his chest and he pouted, voice hitting an almost whining note as he said Joe's name.

Laughing, Joe crossed the few steps between them and ruffled Barry's hair. "That's amazing, Bar. You're amazing. And what you did yesterday..."

Barry ducked his head, suddenly bashful. "I know I put myself in danger..."

"You saved so many lives," Joe interrupted. "I'm so proud of you."

"If another meta causes problems like that, I plan to do it again. Put on the suit and fight them, I mean," Barry said. "De-escalate where I can, but... I feel like I have these powers for a reason. To help people."

"You have my support," Joe promised, knowing that Barry needed to hear it out loud. An unequivocal promise, after Joe failed to provide that when Barry was recovering from the lightning strike.

"Thank you."

"Want to show me again?"

Lighting up, Barry nodded and then took off on another few dozen laps of the airfield. Watching the lightning surround him, even at this distance, put Joe in mind of another way he'd failed Barry.

_"There was a man in the lightning, Joe. I swear. He killed mom. My dad is innocent."_

Today, Joe saw a man - his son - run so fast he seemed almost to turn into lightning itself. And suddenly anything was possible. Including the idea that Barry wasn't the first person to gain powers like these.

Which meant that it was time to reopen the case of Nora Allen's murder.


End file.
